The possibility of getting a one-year reduction in sentence through completion of the Federal BOP (Bureau of Prisons) RDAP (Residential Drug Abuse Program) was previously limited to federal inmates without convictions for violent offenses or 924(c) (gun) convictions. That policy has now changed, ...

Despite the U.S. Supreme Court operating with one less justice, the Court has continued to issue surprising rulings on everything from immigration, to abortion, to blood tests of suspected drunk drivers. By a 5 to 3 vote, the Supreme Court ruled that evidence obtained after an illegal search may ...

In another case where the courts are forced to deal with how we use technology in everyday life, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that law enforcement do not need a warrant to search location data on a suspect's phone. By a 12 to 3 vote, the appellate court judges found that phone recor...

The United States and Cuba have restored diplomatic relations after more than 50 years of tension between the two countries. Travel restrictions have loosened, and a number of U.S, airlines will soon begin operating increased flight options between the U.S. and Cuba. However, Cuba remains a count...

The U.S. Navy has announced that they will be pursuing charges of espionage against Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edward Lin. He has been accused of spying for China and Taiwan, passing military secrets to foreign agents and an FBI informant during a sting operation. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges of ...

The latest Senate intelligence authorization bill has passed the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence by a vote of 14-to-1. The single “no” vote came from an Oregon Democrat who has warned that the bill would expand government surveillance, and undermine independent oversight.
The text of the...

In a blog from last week, we wrote about a federal judge who was concerned that the FBI and NSA were overstepping their surveillance powers. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has approved a Department of Justice rule to allow broader surveillance authority. The new rule could allow the FBI and othe...

Years after Edward Snowden released information about the government's massive information gathering program, we still know very little about the extent of the government's surveillance. A secret court decision has recently been released, where the judge was disturbed by the government's overreac...

The defense team representing Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl has won access to hundreds of thousands of classified documents in the early stages of Bergdahl's court martial trial. A military judge had previously ordered that all classified information that the government may offer into evidence at trial ...

Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman may be getting closer to his eventual extradition to the United States to face multiple criminal charges. Last week Guzman was moved from a prison in central Mexico to a prison in the border city of Ciudad Juarez. As the extradition process continues...

Over the past few months, promising sentencing reform has made slow progress. Despite sentencing reform bills being proposed in both the House and the Senate, Congress has yet to pass either bill. As families, legislators, and even law enforcement push for reform on the federal level, prisoners c...

Law enforcement officers looking to install wiretaps and eavesdrop on phone calls are supposed to seek judicial approval first. Wiretaps are regulated by federal statutes, and officers have to establish probable cause for a federal judge to approve a wiretap. However, just because a wiretap is ap...

On April 23, 2014, the Obama Administration announced a new clemency initiative to encourage federal prison inmates to have their sentences reduced or commuted by the President. Former Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole announced the program, with Deborah Leff to head the Office of the Pardon ...

While many of us struggle to keep up to date with the latest social media trends, the legal system often lags even further behind.
A woman in New York may have violated a protective order when she tagged another woman in a Facebook post. Maria Gonzalez was ordered to cease contacting another wom...

Anyone who uses a computer or smartphone on a regular basis is concerned about the threat of hackers using viruses or malware to access your personal information. Through cleverly crafted codes, hackers can get into our webcams, steal files from our computers, or find out where we live and work, ...

In the latest update on the momentum of sentencing reform legislation in Congress, an encouraging development! Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, who served under President George W. Bush, wrote a notable op-ed published by The Hill. In the headline, he proclaims that "Federal Sentencing ...

When many people first heard the story of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl walking away from his post, and into the hands of the Taliban, their thoughts immediately turned to labeling him a traitor. However, as followers of the popular Serial podcast have heard over the past couple of months, the true stor...

With all the news and progress surrounding federal sentencing reforms, including major Supreme Court decisions and draft legislation, prison sentencing reform should not be far behind. However, as prison reform advocates and family members wait for Congress to act, the laws appear to be stalled i...

As we noted before, prison sentencing reform is a major topic among lawmakers across the political spectrum. After years of families and advocates pushing for changes to mandatory minimum sentencing, public opinion is shifting towards a more measured approach. Instead of treating prison sentencin...

In the peak of the “get tough on crime” years, the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. This was the biggest overhaul of the criminal code in decades. One provision included the Armed Career Criminal Act, or ACCA. The ACCA created enhanced penalt...

Samuel Johnson was being monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation related to his involvement with a white-supremacist organization. During the investigation, an undercover agent said Johnson talked about counterfeiting money, producing napalm and other explosives, and showed the agent an ...

On February 3, 2016, Senate Bill 613 was unanimously incorporated by the Courts of Justice committee of the Senate. This bill, if presented to and signed by the governor, will eliminate the provision of law which suspends a driver's license for six months upon conviction for simple possession of...

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Armstrong v. Village of Pinehurst that the use of tasers by police can be excessive force under the Fourth Amendment. Specifically, the Fourth Circuit found that the Pinehurst police department's use of a taser on a mentally ill man who was exercising...